Motor vehicle control



June 11, 1940. A. A. "WENTZEL MOTOR VEHICLE CONTROL Filed Oct. 22, 1938AniorzAWen zzeZ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

humid June 11, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2M8 uo'roa vsmcm commonAnton A. Wentlei, Milwaukee, Wis. Application mmzz, 192s, Serlal No.286,445 0 Claims. (c1. lea-.01)

This invention relates to motor vehicle controls and particularlytoimproved fuel supply control means therefor. I In driving modernautomobiles, the supply of 7 fuel to the motor is practicallyexclusively under the control of the accelerator pedal so that, insofaras the fuel is concerned, the driving is performed only by the rightfoot of the driver, the left foot coming into play only on occasionswhen the clutch is to be released. This condition, particularly in longdistance driving, is the cause of serious fatigue on the part of thedriver, because the muscles of the right foot and leg are under tensioncontinuously for long periods of time, without interruption oropportunity for relaxation.

Of course many motor vehicles are also equipped with a manuallycontrolled element by which the fuel may be regulated independently ofthe accelerator pedal, but this element is used only during starting, ifat all, and not during driving, because, arranged as at present, its useduring driving would be neither convenient nor safe, but would seriouslyinterfere with the important steering function performed by the hands.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved controlsystem whichwill assure adequate and convenient control of the fuelsupply without requiringcontinuous use of either foot of the operatorand without impairing or interfering wlth other normal drivingfunctions. Other more specific objects and advantages of the presentinvention will appear, expressed or implied, from the followingdescription ofan illustrative embodiment thereof. In the accompanyingdrawing: Figure 1 is a view in perspective diagrammaticallyillustratinga motor vehicle control system embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating other operating positions of partsshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a preferred positionalrelation between the steering wheel and control lever shown in the otherfigures.

The control system selected for illustration in- I cludes a conventionalcarburetor. partially indicated at ill, with its throttle valve II andlever l2, the lever l2 being equipped with the usual set screw i3 forcoaction with a conventional stop It to determine the idling position ofthe valve H. The lever i2 is shown connected, through a link It andbellcrank l6, with push rod n which is under the control of aconventional accelerator' pedal (not shown) by which the throttle valveIl may be rocked to regulate the rate of flow of fuel through thecarburetor in the usual manner. 5

In this instance, the bellcrank It is also connected through a push rodII with an arm l9, depending from and fixed to a horizontal rock shaft20 mounted in appropriate brackets 2| and 22 upon the front of the motorvehicle dash board 29. The rock shaft 29 also carries an upwardlyinclined arm 24 whose upper end has a swivel connection 26 with a block29.

A horizontal rod 21 is lengthwise moveable' within the block 26. The rod21 carries at its forward end a stop member 29, fixed thereto, and atits rear end the rod is fixed to one end of a steel wire 29 which passesthrough an appropriate guide tube 39 and is attached at its other end toan arm 3| carried by a rock shaft 32 mounted upon a conventionalsteering wheel post 93. Theguide tube 39, which extends'through the dashboard 23 and is appropriately fixed to the conventional panel 34, ispreferably packed with grease which offers substantial resistance tolengthwise movement of the wire 29 within the tube.

The rock shaft 92 preferably extends upwardly along the steering wheelpost 99 to a point adja cent the under side of the steering wheel 95 and.30 carries at its upper end a control lever 38 fixed thereto. Thislever 36 may assume various forms, but preferably extends to a pointadjacent but below the rim of the wheel where it may be convenientlymanipulated by a finger on the left hand of the driver without requiringwithdrawal of that hand from gripping engagement with nections betweenit and the throttle valve l I normally assume a valve closing or idlingposition. However, the fact that the block 26 is slidable on-the rod 21permits movement of those connections and of the valve in response toactuation of the rod l1 in response to actuation of the acceleratorpedal, and without disturbing the position of the control lever 26. Itis thus possible to place the supply of fuel to the motor under thecontrol of the accelerator pedal whenever driving conditions warrantcontrol in this manner.

However, upon depressing the control lever 36 toward or through the fullline position of Fig. 2, the wire 29 and rod 21 are retracted in suchmanner that the stop 23 engages and forces the block 26 rearwardly.thereby rocking the shaft and arm 19 insuch direction as to advance thepush rod 13 and thus open the throttle valve I l to an extent dependentupon the extent of movement of the control lever 36. The control lever36 and the rod 21 are yieldably retained in any position to which theyare thus shifted by the frictional resistance to movement of the wire 29in the guide tube. The throttle valve ll may thus be adjusted, by manualadjustment of the control lever 36, to supply sufllcient fuel to theengine for driving at any desired speed, such as thirty, forty, or fiftymiles per hour, and when thus driving over long stretches of fairlylevel roads, he may remove his foot entirely from the accelerator pedal.

It will of course be understood that when driving under control of thelever 36 in the manner just described; the fuel supply may bemomentarily increased by actuation of the accelerator pedal, if thecondition of the road requires, without disturbing the set position ofthe control lever 36, and when the accelerator pedal is again releasedthe throttle valve will return to the position determined by theposition to which the control lever 36 has last been set.

Should the clutch be opened while the control lever 36 is in thedepressed position of Fig. 2, with the throttle valve open or partiallyopen, it is obvious that the motor would race. To avoid thisobjectionable condition, provision is made for effecting automaticreturn of the control lever 36.

' to the idling position of Fig. 1 whenever the clutch is opened. Inthis instance, mechanism for this purpose includes a second rock shaft31, pro- 'vided on the front of the dash board 23 and extending from thevicinity of the rock shaft 23 to the vicinity of the clutch pedal leverconventionally indicated at 33.

Shaft 31 carries atone end an arm 33 connected to the clutch lever 33through a normally slack connection including a link 40 and coil spring4!. The shaft 31 also carries at its other end anarm 42 connected to thestop 23 on rod 21 through appropriate linkage 43. The arrangement issuch that the normal slackness in the spring 4| and link 40 permits freerocking of the "shaft 31 in response to adjustment of the rod 21, wire29, and control lever 36, but whenever the clutch lever 33 is depressedto open the clutch, the spring 41 is thereby tensioned in a mannertorock the arm 39, shaft 31, and arm 42 in a direction to force the rod21 forwardly and thus automatically return the control lever 36 andthrottle valve II to the idling position of Fig. 1.

It will thus be noted that whenever the clutch pedal 36 is depressed toopen the clutch, for the purpose of bringing the vehicle to a stop orotherwise, the control lever 36 and throttle valve ll returnautomatically to an idling position, from which position the controllever may, upon restarting the vehicle, be manually adjusted to effectthe acceleration desired and thereby avoid an shown for this purposeincludes a third arm 44 does not interfere with free rocking of theshaft 31, but whenever the lever 43 is depressed to apply the brakes itstrikes the lower end 41. causing the same and the shaft 31 to rock in adirection to automatically return the control lever 36 to the idlingposition in the manner above described.

The lever 46 is preferably adjustable so'as to effect contact with thebrake lever 43 at variable points in the stroke of the brake lever, andin that manner compensate for variation in the brake lever actionresulting from brake adjustments. For this purpose the end portion 41 ofthe lever 46 'is adjustably connected thereto through appropriate means,such as clamp screws 60 carried by the lever 46 and engaged in alongitudinal slot in the end portion 41, '50 that the latter may beadjusted lengthwise as desired.

, The automatic return of the control lever 36 may thus be synchronizedwith the braking action regardless of brake adjustments.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the inventionhereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacrificingthe advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a control system for a motor vehicle having a steering wheel and acontrol pedal, the combination of a manually adjustable element mountedadjacent said wheel, means yieldably retaining said element in variouspositions of adjustment, a fuel regulator, means responsive toadjustment of said element for adjusting said regulator, means includingan independently moveable element operable on said last named means tofurther adjust said regulator without disturbing the position of saidfirst named element, and means responsive to actuation of said pedal forreturning said first named element and said regulator to idlingposition.

2. In a control system for a motor vehicle having a control pedal, thecombination of a fuel regulator, means including an element manuallyadjustable to adjust said regulator, means yieldably retaining saidelement in various positions of adjustment, means including anotherelement adjustable to ,regulate said regulator without disturbing theposition of said first named element. and means responsive to actuationof said pedal for returning said first named element and said regulatorto idling position.

3. In a control system for a motor vehicle having two control pedals,the combination of a fuel regulator, a manually adjustable element,means yieldably retaining said element in various positions ofadjustment, means responsive to adjustment of said element for adjustingsaid regulator, means including an independently moveable elementoperable on said last named means to further regulate said regulatorwithout disturbing the position of said first named element, and meansresponsive to actuation of either of said pedals for returning saidfirst named element and said regulator to idling position. i

4. In a control system for a motor vehicle having a clutch pedal, amanually adjustable element, means for yieldably retaining said elementin various positions of adjustment, a fuel regulator, means responsiveto adjustment of said element for adjusting said regulator, anindependently moveable element operable on said last named means tofurther adjust said regulator without disturbing the position of saidfirst named element, and means responsive to actuation of said clutchpedal for returning said iirst'named element and said to position.

5. In a control system for a motor vehicle having a steering wheel and abrake pedal, a manually adjustable lever having a portion disposedadjacent the rim of said wheel, means for yieldably retaining said leverin various positions of adjustment, a fuel regulator means responsive toadjustment of said lever for adjusting said regulator, an independentlymoveable element operable to further adjust said regulator withoutdisturbing the position of said lever, and means responsive to actuationof said brake pedal for returning said regulator and said lever toidling position.

6. A fuel control system for a motor vehicle having a steering wheel andcontrol pedal, said system comprising the combination of a fuelregulator, a control lever adjacent the rim of said wheel, a rodmoveable in response to movement of said lever, a block moveablerelative to said rod and connected to said fuel regulator, meansmoveable with said rod and operable on said block to actuate said blockand regulator in one direction, means operable to further move saidblock and regulator in the same direction without disturbing theposition of said rod and lever, means for yieldably retaining said leverand rod in various positions of adjustment, and means responsivetoactuation of said control pedal for returning said lever and regulatorto idling posi- 20 tion.

ANTON A. WENTZEL.

